An increasingly Nixonian White House is using the power of the presidency to attack a private news organization. (Source: NY Times)
“We’re going to treat them the way we would treat an opponent,” said Anita Dunn, the White House communications director, in a telephone interview on Sunday. “As they are undertaking a war against Barack Obama and the White House, we don’t need to pretend that this is the way that legitimate news organizations behave.”
"We’re not going to legitimize them as a news organization.”
So the president's staff now determines what constitutes a "legitimate news organization." Does their criteria include tingling legs and fawning, uncritical coverage?
President Obama even singled FOX out, if not by name, earlier this year:
“I’ve got one television station that is entirely devoted to attacking my administration,” he said in June, though he did not mention Fox by name. He added, “You’d be hard pressed if you watched the entire day to find a positive story about me on that front.”
Boo hoo! President Bush had every station attacking him when he was president, and he never whined about it. The press corps was a pack of snarling, ass-biting curs during his administration.
"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
A little less narcissism and a little more Harry Truman would do the current president and his staff some good.
Smear and Discredit replaces Rebut and Debate
This is the favored tactic of the intellectually bereft left: Smear and discredit your opponent because you can't refute his message.
If FOX is so unfair, why doesn't the administration send a staffer a day to go on their shows and fight back? If the FOX meanies really are so dumb and unfair, a little debate and pushback should make their scurrilous attacks collapse like a house of cards, right?
Every Regime Needs Scapegoats
If someone were smearing and trashing me, I would relish a chance to go on one of their most-watched programs to expose their nonsense and prove them wrong. But that's not what this is about. It's about scapegoating.
The most famous regimes in history have all used scapegoats, and now Obama is channeling Nixon the same weekend he's awarded an anticipatory Nobel Peace Prize. Who'd a thunk it?
Hot Air
12 comments:
HOW DARE ANY SO-CALLED NEWS AGENCY SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE "ONE", ESPECIALLY AFTER HE WON THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FOR DOING NOTHING!
Of course we all know that they are referring to FOX. What time does the revolution start?
Poor Chairman Zero...he's not happy unless all the media's blowing him. This too will backfire, like everything else he does.
I think the revolution has started. How does the Democratic party get its credibility back at this point?
Moderates are in revolt against every item on the liberal agenda.
The White House diaper rash rants against Fox are already backfiring. Every time they criticize the channel, viewership goes up.
I watch O'Rielly factor and other fox news stuff because they hammer everybody. I also watch CNN and other non news programs. I hopefully truely help their ratings. At least Obama will get a straight answer out of fox versus the other programs kissing their backside.
Revolution is highly un-conservative.
Read Hobbes again... or at least for the first time.
CP: I agree with you. The "liberals" have actually turned into doctrinaire conservatives (global warming shall not be questioned! Do not disparage our dear leader Obama!).
If you examine my writings, you will find I'm actually a classical liberal. What are you? Be careful how you answer, don't want to incur the wrath of Gaia and her vicar here on earth, Reverend Al Gore.
The correct term is "counter revolution".
In Marxist revolutionary theory, once a new regime is installed, KGB-like security services are launched to prevent a counter-revolution. Individuals and media that could pose a threat are denounced or in extreme cases, frog-marched into a gulag.
Yes, the counter revolution has started! Unfortunately, there needs to be an active 2% of the population to affect change. Therefore I hope congress and Obama get everything they want - it will wake up that 2%. Then it's game on, baby!
-Hugh
As soon as I started reading I knew it was you, Hugh.
You are one of the few on the right who have actually waded through Marxist theory in order to educate the rest of us.
Yeah, sleeping giants is a trite phrase, but it keeps coming up in commentary and conversations...
Counter-revolution implies - at the very least - that some sort of revolution has already taken place. Is that what you believe the election of Obama entails?
If Bush was given 4 more years he'd be doing almost exactly the same things (McCain would do precisely the same things). I don't think Obama is exactly a revolutionary figure.
I'd say I'm a classical liberal as well... except I don't place as much importance on the free market. I guess I'm a welfare state liberal.
We're throwing the term revolution around rather loosely, but the Obama election did bring a sea change to this country, or at least they're trying to.
A welfare state liberal? Wow, a rare flash of self-deprecating humor from the Nietzschean!
Excuse me, but where are we going... and what am I doing in this handbasket?
Is the basket strapped to the back of a bicycle?
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